Your psychological and social well-being are also involved in your mental health. It covers your emotional health, including your ability to recognize, confront, and regulate your emotions. 

Have you observed discussions about mental health online? Have you been to your favorite show, your friend’s place, or been outdoors with family members, where you observed them discussing mental health? It may make you wonder what exactly the subject is that they are talking about. 

Mental health refers to how your brain functions and everything that affects it, according to Oludara Adeeyo, author and psychiatric social worker. 

Many elements play a role in mental health, some of which are beyond your control, such as genetics, family history, and experiences. 

However, you have influence over other important aspects of your mental health, notes KC Davis, a licensed professional counsellor and author. 

Your capacity to influence your mental health is crucial because your mental well-being matters. This is why you must learn how to improve mental wellness for your overall well-being. 

What Is the Significance of Mental Health? 

Mental health helps how you manage stress, make choices, or relate to others, explained Alison Seponara, the author of the book The Anxiety Healer’s Guide and a licensed professional counsellor.  

Additionally, Seponara mentions that caring for your mental health results in: 

• Enhanced mood 

• Reduced anxiety 

• Clear thinking 

• Deeper relationships 

• Better self-esteem, confidence, and self-worth 

When you nurture your mental health, it can also help you manage health conditions worsened by stress, such as heart disease, as mentioned by Seponara. 

Around your life, your mental health can impact everything, Adeeyo said, including the way you view and move around the world and your ability to handle life’s throws at you. 

That is why building habits for better mental health helps make a significant difference in your day-to-day life. 

Pro-tip: 

When exploring new behaviors and beginning to incorporate them into your routine, consider framing these changes as acts of self-kindness rather than self-punishment. When you maintain a kind and gentle attitude toward yourself, you can do more to improve your mental health and overall outlook compared to criticism and negative self-talk. 

Davis recommends it is best for your mental health from a place of care. 

If you are uncertain where to start, you will find the strategies necessary to promote better mental health below. We also provide guidance on seeking professional help when required. 

Daily habits for mental wellness: 

Get Sufficient Sleep: 

Sleeping is not just essential for physical well-being. It also plays an essential role in mental health. According to a report published by the American Psychological Association in 2023, sleep deprivation makes many people less happy and anxious. The quality of your sleep also matters. Disrupted sleep contributes to mental health symptoms. 

• If you wish to get high-quality sleep, consider trying the following habits: 

• Refrain from caffeine after 3 PM. 

• Try waking up and going to sleep at the same time every day. 

• Make your bedroom a quiet, relaxing, and clutter-free space. 

• Aim to maintain your room temperature between 60° F and 65° F. 

If you have a sleep disorder, you may find it challenging to build healthy sleep habits. If you think your sleep relates to a sleep condition, it’s helpful to discuss the problem with a sleep specialist to gain additional knowledge about evidence-based therapies, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia. 

Poor sleep also results from mental health concerns, meaning changes to your sleep environment and nighttime routine might not make a lasting difference. If you do not notice any significant improvement after trying these methods, connecting with a mental health therapist may be a helpful next step. 

Reducing Social Media Time: 

Constantly consuming information about others’ lives may result in you comparing yourself with them to promote feelings of low self-worth, to increase feelings of anxiety and depression, according to Adeeyo. To minimize on social media, it’s helpful to try to: 

Store your phone in a drawer or outside your bedroom while getting into bed. 

You might miss your scrolling sessions, but it’s helpful to have other meaningful activities to replace them. 

Turn off notifications or delete some social media apps from your phone. 

Strengthen Your Relationships: 

Your mental health benefits when you have a robust relationship with others because humans are social creatures. For example, friendships can: 

• Ease feelings of unhappiness. 

• Make emotional support easier to access. 

• Make your life meaningful. 

There are many ways to cultivate positive connections to nurture your friendships: 

• Remain in touch by checking regularly, even with a funny text or a meme. 

• Get together for a morning walk or breakfast. 

• Call for a short chat during lunchtime. 

• Schedule monthly or biweekly dinner dates. 

• Adjust Your Body According to Your Preferences 

Mental health benefits from physical care by helping you: 

• Relieve in stress 

• Lifting mood 

• Helping you fall asleep faster 

Providing assistance in managing symptoms of depression and anxiety: 

Movement can take a different form and doesn’t mean you have to visit the gym if that’s not your preference. Instead, you can make the movement enjoyable by choosing physical activities that work best for your body, health, and preferences. 

When starting an experiment with various physical activities, keep the ones that resonate with you the most. 

Enjoyable activities may include: 

• Joining a walking or running club 

• Taking slower-paced restorative yoga classes 

• Trying seated exercises 

• Throwing a dance party 

• Take stretching breaks every hour 

• Gardening or other physical activities in your backyard 

• Going out on a weekend family hike or walking by the beach 

• In short, you do not have to go out to include vigorous activities to support mental wellness 

Spending a few minutes of stretching can make a significant difference to your overall mental health. Stretching helps blood flow get more oxygen through your body to help you feel relaxed and happy, mentions Christopher S Taylor, PhD, LPC-S, founder of Taylor counseling group, author of “My Digital Practice,” and the host of the “for self-examination podcast.” 

Indulge in Nutrient-Rich Foods: 

Your mental health also needs certain foods, as they are beneficial. Extend your diet to include foods rich in additional beneficial nutrients to support improved mental health. The foods you can include berries, bananas, beans, whole grains, and fatty fish such as salmon. It also helps if you ensure your body receives some fuel every day, as eating something is better than eating nothing at all. 

Remaining hydrated by drinking plenty of water throughout the day also benefits your body. When you are dehydrated, you deprive your body and brain of the nutrients essential to survival and optimal function. 

Certain foods, such as alcohol, caffeine, refined carbs, and added sugars, worsen anxiety symptoms. Therefore, limiting such foods can help ease some of your mental health symptoms. 

Understand When to Relax: 

On challenging days, you might find it difficult to accomplish any of the above-mentioned tasks, which can make you feel even worse. In such times, Davis recommends turning to compassionate, accessible strategies like giving yourself permission to remain in and rest, engaging in breathwork for a few minutes, taking a long shower or a bath, or buying a nutritious prepackaged meal when cooking feels nearly impossible. 

Another approach you can try is to take one small step every day. 

Whether it is making your bed, drinking one glass of water in the morning, or writing in your journal, making a daily promise to yourself eventually becomes a habit that empowers you. 

Allocate Time for Relaxation: 

The definition of rest varies from one person to another but generally means giving your body and mind some time to unwind and restore. 

Meditation and yoga teacher and author of the book “You Are Radically Loved,” Rosie Acosta, suggests trying yoga Nidra, a sleep-based meditation.  

Rosie recommends taking the following steps: 

• Lying on your back with your hands by your sides and spreading your feet apart the distance of your hips or wider. 

• Think of relaxation while being present, making you feel calm and still aware. 

• Bring your attention to your physical body and then to your breath. 

• On an inhale, imagine a slow-moving wave entering your feet soles and traveling to your head’s crown. 

• On exhale, visualize a slow-moving wave traveling from your head’s crown back to the soles of your feet. 

• Feel your body’s happiness and stay relaxed with the present for 10-30 minutes. 

Acosta suggests the following two restorative practices if you have a few minutes to relax: 

• Place both hands over your heart and take deep breaths by closing your eyes to feel the warmth and comfort of your touch. 

• Breathe in for two counts and breathe out for four counts for 12 cycles. 

Get Sunshine: 

Taylor says the sun is an excellent source of vitamin D, and research confirms that it can improve your mood and attitude. Your time outdoors does not have to be long and can be as short as five minutes under the blue skies to do your heart and mind some real good. 

If you have several minutes, consider the following: 

• Taking a quick walk 

• Sitting in your backyard or balcony 

• Standing outside and breathing the fresh air 

• Opening a window near your desk if possible 

• Taking a work meeting outdoors 

• Having lunch at a nearby park 

• Exercising outdoors or engaging in physical activities like gardening or stretching 

When to Make Contact: 

The strategies discussed above are helpful for improving mental wellness but are not useful for curing mental health conditions. 

While making changes to your habits may not always relieve persistent mental distress, working with a therapist is a significant method of improving your mental health. You can consider seeking professional help whenever you feel ready. You don’t need to display symptoms of depression, anxiety, or any specific mental health condition to benefit from therapy. 

 That said, reaching out for help becomes particularly important if you: 

• Experience a traumatic or stressful event. 

• Feeling more upset, anxious, or sad than usual. 

• Are frequently agitated, irritable, or angry. 

• Do not feel motivated. 

• Often find it challenging to get through your day. 

• Feelingoverwhelmed or stuck. 

Your dependency on alcohol or other substances is increasing, and you are turning to harmful coping strategies. 

Practice gratitude: 

Send a thank you card to someone in your life today. Sharing gratitude can help you feel more positive and make you feel like you are practicing mindfulness towards someone. 

Explore: 

Go to places where you have never been before. It could be as simple as taking a different router to work and back home to make a refreshing change and open your mind to new possibilities.  

The Takeaway: 

Your mental health plays a crucial role in your quality of life. While many factors affecting your mental health remain beyond your control, adding beneficial habits to your day helps promote mental wellness. 

When adopting new habits, it’s helpful to start with one or two at a time rather than trying a comprehensive overhaul. After that, you can check with yourself and take stock of how the changes are helping or have helped. 

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